Mail-box.



C. F. UTTERBAGK.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 20, 1914. mwm Patented Feb.16,1915.

WK] I, 20 .21 5 2 l I a 5 n I ll Ii|!- 9 W a ll Z3 WITNESSES I/WEWTOR MMWM Zaade 7wielfiack 8V N z AHTOHMEVS "HE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTO-LITHO-v WASHINGTON. D. C,

CLAUDE F. 'UTTERBACK, OF MOORESVILLE, INDIANA.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 16, 1915..

original application filed December 24, 191.53, S rial No. 738,446. Divided and. this application filed January To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, CLAUDE ll. U'r'rnnanon, a citizen of the United otates, and a resident of Mooresville, in the county of Morgan and State of Indiana, have invent-- ed certain new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to mail boxes, and is a division of my co-pending application, No. 738,4.l6, filed December 24:, 1912, my more particular purpose being to provide a device of this type having improved means for safe-guarding mail placed in the box.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification in which like letters indicate like parts.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved mail box complete, the movable parts being in the positions they normally occupy when the box is closed; 2 is a vertical section taken through the front portion of the box, substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fin. 3 is an elevation of the upper portion or the box in Fig. 1, with the letter door open.

A casing 8 constitutes the body of the mail box and is provided with a swinging door 9 which 1 designate as the main door. This main door is hinged upon a rod 10 extending across the lower end of the body 8 and is provided with integral portions struck up to engage the rod as seen in Fig. 2 and with a. portion 11 integral with it and extending below the bottom of the casino; 8 and bent backwardly as indicated at the bottom of Fig. 3. When the main door 9 is swung open upon the hinges 10 as a center, the portion 11 lodges against the bottom of the box and serves as brace for supporting the door and consequently a limiting stop to prevent the door from swinging beyond a predetermined angular position.

The casing is mounted upon a post 12 shown fragmentarily in Fig. 1. A small door 13 is by aid of hinges 14 mounted upon the main door 9 and is provided with a knob 15 This small door is normally closed as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 and for this purpose is provided with tension springs 10. Because of its oiiice, I

Serial No. $13 214:.

designate the door 13 as a letter door. It is opened by simply swinging it downward, as indicated by full lines in Fig. and closed by swinging; it upward.

lVithin the casing 8 is a mail holder 16 having substantially the form of a weight and cut away on one side so that one of its edges 1'? (see Fig. 2) is considerably lower than its top. This arrangement is merely for facilitating the removal of letters or other mail which may be contained within the mail holder. A. bracket 18 carried by the main door 9 supports the mail holder in position.

The main door 9 is provided with a letter slot 19 through which letters may be thrust into the casing 8 and into the mail holder 1o. ll l'ounted upon the top of the casino 8 is a small bracket 20, and engaging the latter is a piece of wire 21 bent spirally around the bracket which thus serves as a journal. The wire 21 is provided with a portion 22 extending below the bracket. The piece of wire 21 is also provided with a portion 23 extending upwardly and forwardly and carrying a leaf 25 of sheet metal. ii weight 24: is also mounted upon the portion H3. The parts just mentioned are so arranged that when the main door is swung open the portion of the wire 21 is moved angularly outward and upward so that the wire member is tilted. The weight 24- is rocked backwardly and the leaf 25 is raised. This leaf is observable from a distance and serves as a target for indicating the condition of the box. It ordinarily indicates that mail is in the box, for the reason that the box has been opened by the postman incidental to the deposit of mail. The weight 24: maintains the target in either of its two positions in which the target may be placed.

Mounted upon the inner face of the door 9 is a lrck casing 25 which carries locking mechanism as described and claimed in my copending application above referred to, and which controls the opening of the main door 9, it being understood that the letter door 13 may be freely opened and closed wherever desired.

The mail box above described will be at once simple and inexpensive and yet constitute a safe repository and one which may be easily and quickly opened and closed. Mail placed therein will be cared for and held so that when the main door is lowered and supported by its piece 11, the mail may be readily withdrawn.

Having now thus described my invention, What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows l. A mail box comprising a casing, a door for opening and closing said casing, said door being mounted to swing outwardly at an angle from said casing, a bracket carried bV said door, and a mail support engaging said bracket, said mail support consisting of a triangular receptacle disposed flat-wise against the door and cut away on one side next to the door to facilitate the removal of mail from said mail support when said door is swung outwardly.

2. A mail box comprising a casing open at Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

